Samsara
by PARAphenol
Summary: -NingTong- The world is filled with objects of unimaginable power. In a fit of despair, Ling Tong happened to stumble upon such an object. It promised to make things better where the only price is his life. To his dismay, he has no choice in the matter.
1. Adrsta

Disclaimer : I do not own Dynasty Warriors or any of its sequels, spin offs, etc.

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**Samsara**

The cycle of birth, death, then rebirth.

To wander between life and death

To go or pass through states

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**Chapter 1 :**

**Adrsta  
**

Fate; Destiny

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His foul mood had been perpetuated as the day waned. He hadn't received much rest the night before because a of a certain drunkard named Gan Ning. He couldn't sleep late into the day since every general was forced to attend Lu Meng's and Lu Xun's ridiculously early stratagem meeting. He missed lunch because of the drunkard who, to his surprise, was defended by Lu Meng.

"Turn the other cheek," he said in a mock gruff voice. Scoffing, he continued, "Tch, as if."

He wanted to knock some sense into Lu Meng and his abject philosophies. He needed to bash Gan Ning's head into a gnarling and gory mess with his sanjiegun. But he can't do either.

So he ran. Ran for his sanity, ran for his life. He had to escape the absurdity of the Wu encampment.

Ling Tong ran through a deep haze of swirling emotions to only end past the woods bordering the camp in a small clearing at the zenith of a plunging cliff. He took a deep breath in a futile attempt to calm his raging mind and furious heart. His mouth was set in a taut and straight line that was brimming with all sorts of heinous profanity. A hand roughly ran through his hair and nearly pulled a great bunch of strands out. The other was choking his prized weapon.

His sanguinary thoughts were cut short as a pulse of light originating from the bottom of the cliff caught his eye. Ling Tong tried to ignore it, he focused his contemplations elsewhere and even paced away but the constant pulses nagged and gnawed for his attention. Several moments of undesired frustration trudged by before he finally relented.

He took a tentative step towards the edge of the cliff, feeling that it was stable, he placed one large foot down firmly. Kneeling on one leg he craned his body over the edge and gazed at the deep ravine below the crumbling cliff. Ling Tong's gently arched brows furrowed as he caught site of an unknown object glimmering in the azure water.

Like the beating of a roaring heart, it pulsed voraciously. He observed it with half interested eyes as it slowly circled around a generic central point. It grew to become mundane yet the moment he decided to leave, the object drew him in once again. Faster and faster it spun; it broke off into two separate entities that tailed one another before climaxing into each other in a blinding white light. A translucent beam grew from it and flew vertically past Ling Tong.

He fell back on his behind abruptly when its searing heat grazed the tip of his nose. He sucked in a deep breath as the sight blossomed before him. A being of dazzling pure energy emerged from the beam. Her humanoid figure was distorted with waves of immaculate light but her gentle, porcelain white face shown true. Her eyes of gold glinted with exuberance. Her shy pink lips smiled at him.

Ling Tong tried to pull his eyes, his body away from the blinding site that threatened to blind him but was held by an impalpable attraction. She flew in front of him and showered him with an alien warmth that left him shuddering momentarily as though a brisk chill had descended upon the land.

Her lips barely grazed his cheek as she whispered to him, "Soon...you will be free." Her quite voice seemed to echo in his ear.

"Free?" Ling Tong looked at her incredulously for a moment, not registering what she meant.

As if she had not heard him, she rested her forehead against his, her eyes were closed and lips slightly parted; like a bird's wings, her long silver and blonde hair cocooned around their bodies. Ling Tong felt her go limp before falling against him. He dropped the sanjiegun from his right hand and threw his arms out to catch her but she fell through them, and through him.

The attraction was relinquished. He jumped onto his feet and spun around to see that he was once again alone. Ling Tong returned to the edge of the cliff and glanced down the deadly fall. Nothing was there but all consuming water. He shook his head and regarded the past event as a ridiculously realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless.

Sighing, he bent down to reach for his weapon. As he grasped the object he was intoxicated by a wave of vertigo. It violently rushed through him. There was no up nor down, right or left. A kaleidoscope of color distorted his vision, it spun round and round and consistently altered itself into new forms and new brightening, sickening colors. The trick of the mind caused him to sway with every little movement. He clutched his eyes shut in an attempt to end the nauseating wave that struck him.

His long limbs grew numb and tingled with every movement. Experienced hands struggled to keep a grip on the weapon held but soon grew limp; the sanjiegun clattered to the dirt ground once again. Ling Tong's long and powerful legs trembled as they struggled to support his weight. All feeling from his limbs soon faded to nothing. He stood still in place as though he was stuck in a flood of honey and was unable to move.

He clung tightly to whatever minuscule awareness he still possessed. Ling Tong knew he needed help. He knew he had to leave the area and return to camp. He knew that he had to move quickly. He knew that it may all be impossible; but, to desist would be the greatest fault that he may ever commit to his father.

Mind over matter, he told himself, but it was to no avail.

Swaying one last time, Ling Tong relinquished his grasp on the world. He slipped off the edge and plunged towards the unknown. He was not aware of his position, or rather a lack of one. All he knew was that he felt unbearably light. Light enough to float. But the air, it was pushing him, constant and never ending. He saw rushing greens and blurring browns, deep blues and finally sprouting foam. Ling Tong closed his eyes and saw no more.

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**A/N** - I know that it's really short and that not much has happened so far, but, what do you guys think? What do you like, what do you hate? I want to write this story to the best of my abilities as possible and I can't do it without your help. So please R&R!


	2. Maya

**A/N -** Wow, it has been forever! Funny thing, I decided to start this project just two days before my job at a day camp began. Let me tell you, it's nothing like Camp Wu in _Someone Like Me_ by Red River. I don't know how those counselors never get tired. It's impossible! Long story short, I am KO'ed by the time I get home everyday, hence the (ridiculous) delay.

**A/N no.2 -** I also want to give a big thank you to: orangevbnin, Sun Ying, and Big Ocelot for taking their time to review and answer my questions. It may sound cheesy, but you guys make me smile. In regards to Sun Ying: It's sad to say that in the interest of continuing this story, I don't have time to start studying grammar at this point. But I do deeply appreciate your critique!

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Enjoy!

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**Chapter 2**

**Maya**

An illusion; entanglement of physical and mental realities

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Ling Tong felt a gentle breeze brush past him. It blew his long bangs across his face and tickled his nose. His eyes were shut and his body remained still despite his wishes to flick the hair from his face. It was the most odd sensation, asleep yet aware.

It was a conundrum. At first it baffled his logic. And yet as it settled, it didn't seem to bother him. He was insensate. He was not afraid, nor perturbed in the slightest.

For an insurmountable time, he remained like this. Not a thought crossed his mind as he relished in his private peace. He was content. The sound of nothing soothed his frazzled mind. Everything became nothing in an instant. No more trouble, no more turmoil. No more hopes, no more fears. There was simply nothing.

"And when there is nothing, the infinite is possible." It was the voice of the female from earlier.

Something flickered within the deepest crevice of his conscious mind. A lingering suspicion bloomed.

_'Is this what unconsciousness is?_' Surely, this was not the first time that he had fallen into such a state. He considered his condition. _'Eh...makes no sense.' _He paused in his internal dialogue as realization struck.

_Am I dead? _He recalled hearing some soldiers in his squadron talking a about death and the afterlife. They were speaking of how when one died, their 'spirit' would be released from their body and then be thrown into some cycle again. Any further detail eluded Ling Tong.

A quote popped into his mind but the exact words remained on the tip of his tongue. It was something that Lu Meng had said to him a distant while ago.

"_He may know that he is going to die, but he can never know that he is dead." _

_'Yeah, that's it. So says the one who has not died.' _Ling Tong chuckled inwardly at his morbid thoughts.

The tranquility that Ling Tong was blessed with faded as his fate, whether true or not, dawned upon him. All the weight that had been released from his shoulders had returned. A bitter twang struck his heart. All consuming despair ate his self from the back of his mind and threatened to consume his stoic composure.

Never more had he ever felt this lonely. It may have been tolerable had it not been so tragically mundane.

His still body was floating hither and tither. He could feel himself floating through what he imagined to be a lonely void of nothing but nothing. Ling Tong tried once more. He opened his eyes and immediately closed them when a bright flash overwhelmed them. An eye cracked open to a sight of immense violence. From the infinite darkness above and around came the contrast of a million dying stars. They rushed past him and through him in a blaze of fading glory. At the end, they met their fate with a dark singularity. Their embers were swallowed whole; their lives ending as fast as they had flown.

An invisible force tugged at him. At first, gentle; he thought nothing of it. And then, a violent pull that took him by complete surprise sent him hurdling head first into the graveyard of stars. He threw his arms around his head in a pathetic attempt to shield himself from the impact.

There was none. Through the darkness emerged a clear blue sky. At the edge of the world, a familiar golden star loomed midair. The warmth of the distant sun released him from the deep cold of the empty world as its rays penetrated his being.

Any sense of comfort was quickly disregarded as he plummeted through the sky. Emerald green land tinted with hues of copper brown trapped within a mass of azure revealed themselves through the haze of ever slightly transparent clouds. He wanted to scream but all sounds remained choked within his dry throat. The detail of the rugged land was soon discernible. Sweat attempted to drip down his brow but the velocity of the air rushing around him scattered it to the skies above and around.

Something happened. His descent was decreasing in speed. He thrashed about mid air awkwardly to get his feet underneath his body to where they belonged. He saw that he was going to land at the edge of the cliff where the entire ludicrous journey had began. The tip of his toes touched the ground. A small cloud of dust swirled around his unsteady feet as he landed in a crouching position. Ling Tong touched the ground with the pads of his twitching fingers. Soft and silky dirt wound their way around his fingertips that were dug into the ground. He grasped a handful of the earthy ground and examined it with mouth agape.

His mind failed to draw any sense from the previous event.

He was panting heavily. It was enough, he didn't think he could handle any more oddities in one day. He wanted to return to a state of normalcy that didn't send his heart leaping out of his chest every single moment, nor sent his mind whirling in all directions with no way to go.

As if on impulse, he dashed towards the Wu encampment. His heart raced fast towards the uncertainty of the dire situation. He ran through the thick grove of trees that separated the cliff side from the camp. Something felt off, something was missing, he couldn't figure out what. It was as though the forest has lost its mysterious ambiance, its quiet darkness, and the lingering threat of territorial creatures. Regardless, he leaped over the gnarled roots of ancient trees, whipped away stray and leafy branches and zigzagged through the throng of unpredictable wilderness towards the familiar civilization.

He skid to a sudden halt.

A lazily flowing river cut through the land. It perplexed Ling Tong for it wasn't there on his way to the clearing. Regardless, he attempted to wade across the body of water. Save for the fact that it wasn't water.

It was dazzling. Mellifluous sparkling gold. Golden mercury. Beneath the dazzle and wonder lay sinister shadows. Optical illusions perfectly conveyed dark images of the people he knew floating through. Across the river sat the female personage from earlier. She was trailing a finger through the liquid; a smile on her face.

"Silence," she lifted up her finger. Golden liquid dripped heavily from it. "Is golden."

Ling Tong cupped his face into his hands and proceeded to scream all his horror and frustration away. His eyes were clenched shut but he knew, just knew without a doubt, that she was still smiling.

When he exhausted all his energy in his tantrum he opened his eyes to find a desolate camp clearing. All trace of the previous setting was no longer there.

It was eerily quiet. Hundreds of tents sat upon the green grassed ground, yet not a man was in sight. Where were the metallic clangs and twangs of men practicing their martial arts? Their battle cries, merry chatter and heated arguments? The air smelt distinctly of nature, of trees and of grass. Why was the air not filled with the scents of meat-buns filled to the point where they nearly burst, the roasted pigs, various poultry, and especially where was the heavy and thick scent of the daily staple of congi? The mess hall was always busy preparing food for the throngs of hungry soldiers.

It was all nonexistent. It was desolate. And it hung heavy on Ling Tong's already despondent spirit.

Determined to find an answer to this madness, Ling Tong ran through the unguarded entrance. He reasoned to himself that everyone had to quickly leave, so quickly that the camp was intact, due to unprecedented reasons. Clues as to everyone's whereabouts would have to be scattered across the camp. How everyone left so quickly was beyond comprehension and ultimately immaterial because he knew he was stretching it.

Regardless, Ling Tong wanted to see everyone again, no, he needed to see everyone again. He could not handle the mute world anymore. He would first reconcile with Lu Meng _('because it was the right thing to do')_ and then he would greet everyone else, make small talk and some loud talk, laugh obnoxiously, get everyone to laugh obnoxiously, and finally quarrel with Gan Ning some more if not a lot more at day's end.

He would've smiled at his pleasant thoughts had he not come to an abrupt stop.

Shadows of men without their human companions flickered in and out of site over the beaten grass ground. The faceless procession of shadows glided slowly and effortlessly over all obstacles on the ground.

Ling Tong remained still, hesitant and unsure of what befell his vision. Despite knowing what the outcome would be and how it would remain, he quickly rubbed his eyes to clear his vision. Mentally exhausted, the hope he mustered earlier easily dissipated.

His mind grew numb and listless. Long legs continued forward and trudged to their own accord while giving great care to avoid the grounded figures. They took him through a maze of tanned tents that made up the infantry's barracks where the shadows of hundreds of men were actively engaged in what would be their daily activities, to across the trampled dirt ground of the horses' stables with dozens of equine shadows grazing, where he finally ended up in the officers' quarters.

Ling Tong found his tent as he had left it: entrance flaps carelessly left open for all to see the inside when a breeze blew and an old pair of nun-chucks jutting out and ready to trip anyone treading close enough. To his great surprise, a horse, specifically his milk white mare with brown eyes speckled with gold, stood by his tent. It trotted towards him and affectionately nudged at him to stroke its mane.

He reeled away from the creature. They were never close. Normally an air of indifference would loom between them. So far out of touch with one another, Ling Tong never bothered to give her a name and left the honors to an overly enthusiastic Xiao Qiao.

Ling Tong cringed, "Hey...Ping Pong. Guess it's just you and me now, eh?" He should have cared more for his horse when he initially received it. The poor thing was subject to Xiao Qiao's maniacal blabber and grooming. Instead, he simply brushed the mare away without a care. A twang of regret was felt in his chest. He quickly ignored that feeling.

"Uugh! What am I doing?" he moaned. The owner waved a dejected hand at it while turning away, "You're free...go...just go."

Once again, he was alone. But only for a second.

"Fickle," she appeared in front of Ling Tong. Her face wrinkled in distaste.

He sputtered some nonsensical words.

"Silence is what you wanted, is it not? I gave you that. Now you pine for company. And yet, you continue to shun all that you were given. I gave you the best of all you wanted; was it not enough?" She seemed sad and frustrated.

Ling Tong had nothing to say to justify himself.

"Who are you? And what do you want with me?" he carefully asked.

She crossed her arms and was silent for a moment with a thoughtful look. "Which of those two questions do you deem more important?"

Ling Tong bit his bottom lip and loudly exhaled from his nose.

Melodious laughter left her lips. "I, Dao, am here to help you." She gave a small curtsy. To Ling Tong, it looked pretty awkward considering how she was practically naked.

"Great! You can make all of this go away and put everyone back where they're supposed to be. Then we'll all be happy when I never see you again," he sardonically deadpanned.

Dao raised a finger and waved it at him almost disapprovingly. "Only when you have reached your goal will I release you from within."

"_What is that supposed to mean?" _He cried inwardly. What he actually said was, "Har har, very mysterious. Now cut the crap and lets return things to normal."

"And THAT is why _you_ are **here**." She made sure to emphasize those three specific words. "How can you expect to grow from the fires of your fury, make a permanent mark to the world of who you are, when all you can do is hide behind a wall of words?"

A veil of shame fell over Ling Tong despite the lack of mockery in her tone. What she had said made him realize how akin he was to a child; a selfish, fearful, and introverted child desperately lost to all around him; horribly unfit to mature and grow in a changing world.

Dao, a mere stranger, stranger than all the wonders in the world, had managed to shatter the wall he so carefully built. It was a very intricate wall, one that allowed all people through, yet only in certain situations. There weren't many situations opened at all and they were all geared towards keeping everyone at an arm's length; save for one, which was merely confrontational and no better than the former.

Dao stepped up to Ling Tong. She gently lifted his chin to make him look at her before saying, "Soon you will be free."

He recalled her saying that earlier and was confident that it did not relate to him returning home.

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**A/N no.3** - Ping Pong -snicker snicker- Good news: I actually have 99% of chapter three done. Gan Ning's finally coming into play (and a few others too!) Now bad news: I'm just not posting it until I get 50% of chapter four done... Till next time!


	3. Karma

**Chapter 3**

**Karma**

The ability to choose and to face the consequences that come with the choice.

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"You're an utter and absolute fool," barked Lu Meng.

Gan Ning scratched at his gravity defying hair. He glanced at the furious Lu Meng and gave a sheepish smile. It didn't do much to alleviate the situation.

"We are at war. We cannot have any turmoil within our ranks if we are to succeed."

The pirate turned away from Lu Meng and rolled his eyes. "Tch, doesn't matter if we like each other or not. We'll still get the job done." he stated as a matter of fact.

The tactician shook his head disdainfully, all gruffness had left his voice, it was quiet, almost foreboding, "Just know that we are all fair game on the field of war; if you cannot look to all your allies for support then **we**-" He pointed to everyone around them, "-are all doomed."

Gan Ning huffed his chest and glared at the ground. He hated how Lu Meng constantly mentors him on nearly every little thing he does. He especially hated how Lu Meng would always, _always_, turn out to be right. He looked up after a moment of sulking to see that the older man was gone. A frown clearly clung to his face as he roughly threw the flaps of his tent open and retreated into the dimly lit interior.

The single oil lamp in the center of his tent snuffed itself out. Gan Ning grumbled some complaints about how he had recently refueled it as he stumbled through the darkness towards it. In the velvety ink he tripped over an unknown item. He cried out in anger as he kicked the offending object out of his tent.

Little did he know, he too would soon follow the object's fate. In the corner of his eyes, he observed the faint glow of two floating orbs. The hair on the back of Gan Ning's neck stood up taught. A feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty washed over him.. They flew towards him and before he could comprehend what he was seeing, a shadow of a figure tackled him with such force that they both flew through the tent's drab cloth walls. In their wake, the support beams of the large tent gave out with a loud, splintering crack before collapsing into a pile of fabric and tinder.

He didn't have to look long to realize who his assailant was.

A really wet and disheveled Ling Tong immediately rolled off of him after their impact onto the springy grass laden ground. He stood extremely close to the ground in a crotch splitting horse stance, his arms were gracefully outstretched above and in front of him, ready to counter and attack.

Gan Ning vaulted himself off the ground in one swift and fluid motion. Out of habit, he reached behind his back and grasped onto an ornate handle that hung from a leather sheath, but quickly decided against it. After all, if Lu Meng was furious at Gan Ning for annoying the hell out of Ling Tong...well, he didn't want to find out how Lu Meng would react if he accidentally dissected the brat.

A pair of guards had quickly wound their way through the maze of tents to where Gan Ning and Ling Tong stood. They were shocked at the condition of the tent but not so much when they saw that it was caused by the dueling men. It was practically habitual for Gan Ning and Ling Tong to break stuff in their tiffs; the tent was the biggest thing so far. Grumbling at the false alarm, they trudged away and hoped that time would speed up so they can change their path of patrol.

Gan Ning stood mumbling to himself some nonsensical words. He struggled to follow what Lu Meng had advised and was at a loss with presenting himself as the peacemaker. Exasperated, he decided to wing it.

He cautiously approached Ling Tong. He quickly glanced the man over and felt that something was off though didn't dwell too long on it. His open palms were held up next to his head to prove that he possessed no ill will. "Hey," he drawled. "...you okay? Did ya fall off a cliff or something?" His joke was not well received so he awkwardly continued. "I know what I've done before was...pretty shitty." Gan Ning groaned inwardly. "But, er...I don't think it's worth fighting over..."

He stood an arm's length away from the crouching form of Ling Tong and extended a hand to help the taller man up. "So...as allies..." The words coming from his mouth sounded so alien to himself. "Lets work together to-"

Gan Ning was unable to finish his statement for Ling Tong grabbed the extended hand and used it to violently vault the standing man into the ground. Stunned, the pirate remained on the ground. At that angle he was able to see Ling Tong's face under the dark curtain of hair that was free from the ribbon that always had it under control.

Ling Tong was devoid of all emotion. His dull and unfocused eyes were looking down at, but truly beyond, the man on the ground. His lips were settled into a chiseled line. Most frightful of all was the pallor of his ghost white skin. Gan Ning rationally envisioned him as someone sick...or, as the creative side of his mind thought, someone who had been possessed by the unnatural.

Whatever the case was, pneumonia or demonic possession, it didn't matter, Gan Ning swung his legs over his head and knocked Ling Tong's feet off the ground. They struggled down there with Gan Ning snarling and cursing all the way. The ex-pirate, who was naturally stronger, managed to pin the unyielding man onto his stomach into the dirt and grass. Ling Tong refused to give up, he threw rib-bruising jabs, dizzying headbutts and flailed his legs as though he were a fish out of water.

Gan Ning had no choice. Steel slithered out of a leather confinement to reveal an over sized dagger. It glinted coldly and menacingly in the warm light of the setting sun.

The recently sharpened blade stifled all movement from the resisting man as it rested between the crook of his neck and the ground. "I don't know what the hell has gotten in to you nor do I give a shit. But you better cut the crap if you know what's good for you," Gan Ning threatened.

Ling Tong turned his head as much as the blade permitted to get a better look at Gan Ning. It wasn't much but it allowed him to see the man on top from the corner of his eye. He gave a toothy grin. "Do you ever think of the consequences when you wave your blade around?" His normal voice bore an unnaturally deep tone that reverberated at the end of each word. "Especially at an ally..."

Gan Ning scoffed.

Ling Tong continued, "You should consider removing it...unless you want to hurt Ling Tong."

His brows furrowed in confusion when Ling Tong referred to himself in third person. Though it didn't do much to deter Gan Ning's will. He continued to maintain his grip and blade upon the man on the ground. "Not a chance."

The pinned man gave a thoughtful look. "How about this: I'll count to three and hopefully during that time, you'll reconsider. And after that... well, lets just say, you reap what you sow."

"Tch..." Gan Ning scoffed.

"One..." Ling Tong said in a sing-song voice.

"Count all ya want, when my mind's made up, it's made up."

"...Two..." Ling Tong clicked his tongue. The grin returned. He looked almost maniacal as it stretched from ear to ear. There was no laughter in his eyes.

"Ya know...you're kinda freaking me out..."

"...Three..." It was barely a whisper yet the gravity of the simple word was palpable. Ling Tong's amber eyes flashed gold. An aurulent aura surrounded the two men. It flickered menacingly and forcefully ejected Gan Ning from his perch atop Ling Tong. Gan Ning held his breath, his eyes grew wide and he could feel time around him slowing down. He felt the blade penetrate the naked flesh of Ling Tong's neck. It slid with ease through the tough muscle.

He expected much blood to be splayed. There was none.

Gan Ning could only observe the alien site as he was blown away. A ghost of a fire slithered across Ling Tong's torso, it turned his shirt to soot, and revealed a naked torso ripped with musculature. The flame trailed across his pale flesh and left in its wake glowing bronze skin. It stripped Ling Tong's hair of its chestnut brown color to replace it with wild flaxen hair that shimmered like golden silk. His powerful arms flexed as they gripped his sanjiegun with great precision. His long legs remained clothed but the barrier failed to hide the power within as they dug into the ground. The flickering flame alighted upon his shoulders.

Now he understood why the former Ling Tong referred to himself in third person. "Who are you!"

His loveless face was contorted with hatred as he struck a violent pose. The figure flew towards Gan Ning. In a show of mastery he gracefully spun his sanjiegun in wide sweeping arcs. Gan Ning only scoffed. Anyone can spin a stick around. Despite his more stocky physique, he moved at a speed that nearly rivaled Ling Tong's. His large hands gripped the ornamental hilt of his other dagger and pulled it out at the most precise moment, successfully deflecting the blow of the other man's weapon.

"Do you ask that same question to all of those who are your opponents on the battlefield? After you mercilessly strike them down do you go to each of their families after the battle and say 'I am sorry for murdering your husband' You don't. So what does it matter who I am?" His opponent sneered as he deflected a staggering blow and planted a firm foot into Gan Ning's armored stomach that sent the pirate reeling back. "Why don't you just treat this like any other normal, good fight, eh?"

Gan Ning replied with a rumbling growl coupled with a flurry of furious daggers. He would not let the creature toy with him. "Answer my damn question!"

He gave a sigh, "If I must..."

The bright orange fire at the top of his shoulders burst into a bright blaze. He swung his staff atop his head before swiping at the ground. A burst of energy was released from the wave of the three sectional staff. Blades of grass were ripped from their roots and brightened the orange sky with dazzling green. It sent tents toppling over. An innumerable amount of them were razed before their owners, who were currently residing in the mess hall, even realized what all the commotion was about.

"I am the will of Ling Tong. The fire of his passion. The enduring flame in a sea of darkness. Fury incarnate. I am Bao Nu."

Gan Ning wanted to tear his ears off. He was embarrassed to hear such a corny statement. Not only was the bastard annoying, he was ridiculously egotistic. Regardless of what had just transpired, he flew back into ass-kicking, fight mode and in a show of brute force, he dashed towards his opponent, leaped high in the air, high enough to block out the sun above Bao Nu, and aimed to land with his blade impaled into the creature's chest.

It might have gone to plan if he moved a second sooner. It may have ended better if he had not leaped into the air and left himself wide open for attack. There was no room in battle for regret. With a great shrill howl, he accepted his punishment.

Gan Ning was roughly grabbed by the neck at an arm's length by Bao Nu. The blades in his hand were easily knocked away in blinding speed and quickly joined the debris littering the field. The flames licked at the trapped man, yet to his great surprise they did not singe skin. Gan Ning vehemently struggled to free himself from the bruising grip, he kicked with his steel-toed feet, and clawed ferociously in vain. Regardless, he continued his onslaught until he was carelessly flung to the side of a fallen tent.

Bao Nu dashed towards the fallen man within seconds. Eerily glowing eyes burned brightly, a sadistic smile twisted itself onto what was once Ling Tong's face.

A sickening lump formed in the pit of Gan Ning's stomach. Sweat dripped down his brow as he glared up in defiance. Of all the people he had to fight, Ling Tong would be the last man he would ever run from. The staff swung up high. A rush of air caused by the weapon disturbed the serenity of nature. Gan Ning growled at his helplessness. Down it fell, with crushing force, towards the brazen man's forehead.

Sparks flew. The crippling blow never found its target. Standing in front of Gan Ning was a Lu Meng in deep concentration. His pike swung high and far in a controlled fashion. It deflected Bao Nu's attack and easily sent him stumbling back..

Every able bodied officer was there in the new clearing. There weren't many but nonetheless they were a force to be reckoned with. Zhou Tai appeared behind Ling Tong. His features were hard and stony, his blade was held out and was poised to strike. Zhou Yu appeared by Lu Meng, they nodded in agreement to whatever surprise they had planned. A hesitantly approaching Sun Shang Xiang was to the side. An arrow aimed directly at Ling Tong was drawn against her bow.

Lu Meng spared a downward glance at Gan Ning. "Stand up," he firmly commanded.

"Way ahead of you," grinned Gan Ning as he hastened to stand across Sun Shang Xiang with his fists as his weapons.

A pregnant silence hung in the air. The situation was incomprehensible to them. They all wore the same colors, hailed from the same land and spoke the same dialect of gently rolling Wu. Yet, as they observed who they thought to be Ling Tong, they saw nothing of their former comrade. The immense hatred and hostility he bore made him more akin to a creature desperately in need of slaying.

Bao Nu folded his weapon and relaxed his stance. "I have no quarrel with any of you but Gan Ning."

"You attack one of us..." Zhou Yu began.

Lu Meng continued the previous statement, "Then you have attacked all of us..."

"Drop your weapon and get down on your knees," Zhou Tai gravely ordered.

"Or I'll pin all of your limbs to the ground!" Sun Shang Xiang chimed in with a small bounce on the balls of her feet.

Bao Nu chuckled. What would he, should he, ever do? He was confident in his ability to easily blow them all off their feet and away. It would be fun and also accomplish his goal and more, or, he could just dash towards his target and quickly end it. His host's body may be irreparably damaged that way if all the surrounding officers attacked but it was of no concern to him. He enjoyed the former idea more but the latter was more practical in regards to his task.

Just as he was about to move, a powerful force stopped him. He twitched violently in place. A duel of will was conjured within his mind against body.

There was no time to stop, he was almost done.

"Let me go," he hissed through gritted teeth.

Dao's soft voice whispered to him mantra-like. '_Calm down. Take it slow. It's been so long since we've last been free. Let us enjoy the time.' _

Bao Nu's breathing was labored as he continued to struggle, "But our goal is to do that which is wished by our host."

He heard laughter and amusement in her voice, '_Yes yes, but, why resort to gruesome violence all the time? Won't you let me try something out?' _After a moment's pause she added a heartfelt plea, _'Please?'_

Bao Nu mentally rolled his eyes. He gave one final harrumph before relaxing himself. How could he deny her wishes?

The body was once again under his control. He loudly sucked in a deep breath. "What will I do? I guess I have no choice," he dramatically moaned to the crowd surrounding him. A free hand clutched at his chest to add further emphasis.

The crowd was unamused. Bao Nu sighed. No one but Dao understands him. Alas, she does not count for they are part of each other: two halves of a whole.

Slowly he raised his long borrowed arms high above his head. The roaring flames died down and his knees slid to the ground. In one final act of surrender, he chucked Ling Tong's sanjiegun far off to the side.

* * *

**A/N** - Whoohoo! Fury Ling Tong. Love that form of his in Strikeforce. Anyways. I have to say that I am very proud of this chapter. Things are getting interesting, progress is being made, character personalities are being fleshed out...yeah. Tell me what you think by leaving a review.

~Arrivederci!


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